www.bigagnes.com, 3 pounds, 6 ounces (pack weight)
A cathedral ceiling is hardly a feature typically associated with an ultralight backpacking tent, yet that was the singular thought of one tester while he was lying on his back inside the Copper Spur 2, waiting for a horrid rainstorm to pass.  This expectation-defying impression comes from the tent’s revolutionary pole architecture. Simply put, Big Agnes has turned the free-standing dome design on its head—instead of two criss-crossing poles, there’s a central spine. At each end of that spine, poles arch out of triangular joints and anchor to the four corners of the tent’s rectangular footprint. Then, another pole attaches at the center of the spine, running perpendicular to lift the tent’s sidewalls. The result? Massive internal space, with a 42-inch head height and a 29-square-foot floor.  The two-person, three-season tent rounds out its sizable interior with loads of features, including twin rainbow doors, a mesh body for gust-like breathability, a silicone-treated ripstop floor, interior mesh side pockets, and taped seams. The aluminum poles are the lightest, most durable ones on the market, and the plastic tent clips (which you use to pitch the tent) snap on in about a minute.  And when the sky goes dark with clouds, stake down the tent,  toss on the rain fly cover (amended with a few more stakes), and the tent can endure some serious punishment. Dual  nine-square-feet vestibules keep your pack, boots, and various camp essentials dry.  All that, and only 3 pounds, 6 ounces? You might never leave the backcountry.